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Plastic bag charge will help reduce waste and protect the environment

Liberal Democrats are introducing a plastic bag charge to help reduce waste and protect the environment.

A new report published today by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) shows that 8.3 billion plastic bags were used last years by shoppers at UK supermarkets.

Figures show that the use of plastic bags increased by 3.2% last year, compared to 2012.

Commenting on today's report, Baroness Kate Parminter, co-chair of the Lib Dem Defra Parliamentary Party Committee said:
"What these figures show is that there is still a huge number of these single-use plastic bags being needlessly wasted across the UK.

"Lib Dems had to fight tooth and nail to get the Tories to agree to the introduction of a levy, to cut wasteful use, with the excess money given to charity.

"Instead of jumping at the chance to cut the number of bags littering our towns and countryside the Tories insisted on an exemption for household name convenience stores.

"Our policy will encourage reuse and recycling of plastic bags, curb unnecessary damage to the environment and dramatically cut the numbers that blight our towns, countryside and hedgerows."

The Queen's speech in June confirmed that from October 2015, a 5p charge on all single-use plastic bags will be introduced.

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